Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0376358 (prostate cancer)
 59,338 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The androgen receptor (AR) is involved in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer and its transition to androgen independence. Genetic variation in AR may contribute to disease risk and has been studied for a polymorphic N-terminal glutamine (Q) tract that shows population heterogeneity. While the length of this tract is known to affect AR in vitro, association with disease is complicated by genetic and environmental factors that have led to discordant epidemiological findings. To clarify the effect of Q tract polymorphism on prostate cancer, we created mice bearing humanized AR genes (h/mAr) varying in Q tract length. ARs with short Q tracts (12Q), which are transcriptionally more active, induce earlier disease in the transgene-induced TRAMP prostate cancer model than alleles with median (21Q) or long (48Q) tracts. Disease length varies within each genotype, with greater differentiation and AR expression in slower growing tumors. Remarkably, following androgen ablation, Q tract length has effects that are also allele-dependent and in directions opposite to those in hormone intact mice. Differences in AR activity conferred by Q tract length thus appear to direct distinct pathways of androgen-independent as well as androgen-dependent progression, and highlight substantial risk that may be associated with alterations in the androgen axis. This AR allelic series in humanized mice provides an experimental paradigm to dissect the role of AR in prostate cancer initiation and progression, to model response to treatment and to test therapies targeted specifically to the human AR.
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PMID:Glutamine tract length of human androgen receptors affects hormone-dependent and -independent prostate cancer in mice. 1790 87

Oncolytic viruses are an innovative therapeutic strategy for cancer, wherein viral replication and cytotoxicity are selective for tumor cells. Here we show the efficacy of systemically administered oncolytic viruses for the treatment of spontaneously arising tumors, specifically the use of oncolytic herpes simplex viruses (HSV) administered i.v. to treat spontaneously developing primary and metastatic prostate cancer in the transgenic TRAMP mouse, which recapitulates human prostate cancer progression. Four administrations of systemically delivered NV1023 virus, an HSV-1/HSV-2 oncolytic recombinant, to TRAMP mice at 12 or 18 weeks of age (presence of prostate adenocarcinoma or metastatic disease, respectively) inhibited primary tumor growth and metastases to lymph nodes. Expression of interleukin 12 (IL-12) from NV1042 virus, a derivative of NV1023, was additionally effective, significantly reducing the frequency of development of prostate cancer and lung metastases, even when the mice were treated after the onset of metastasis at 18 weeks of age. NV1042-infected cells, as detected by 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-d-galactopyranoside staining for Lac Z expressed by the virus, were present in prostate tumors 1 week after the final virus injection and viral DNA was detected at 2 weeks after final virus injection by real-time PCR in primary and metastatic tumors but not in liver or blood. No toxicity was observed in any of the treated mice. The efficacy of the IL-12-expressing NV1042 virus in this aggressive prostate cancer model using a clinically relevant treatment paradigm merits its consideration for clinical studies.
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PMID:Systemic therapy of spontaneous prostate cancer in transgenic mice with oncolytic herpes simplex viruses. 1790 46

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy for men in Western countries. Research showed that cruciferous vegetables containing indole derivatives were involved in cancer prevention. This study was designed to investigate the effect of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) in cell lines and on PC tumor growth in mice when given as a therapeutic and as a preventive treatment. The effect in vitro of 13C on the viability, proliferation and apoptosis of mouse PC cell line TRAMP-C2 and on bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells was examined using MTT, BrdU and FACS analyses. The effect of I3C (20 mg/kg body weight) as both a therapeutic and a preventive treatment on the growth of PC cells, inoculated subcutaneously in C57BL/6 mice, was evaluated using tumor volume measurements and immunohistochemistry. I3C decreased the proliferation rate in 3-folds (staining to Ki-67), and promoted apoptosis (staining with caspase 3). I3C, injected intraperitonially (I.P.), significantly inhibited the tumor growth (a 78% decrease in tumor volume) and affected the angiogenesis process by decreasing the microvessel density (CD31 endothelial marker) and complexity. I3C has a significant inhibitory effect on PC cells in vitro and in vivo, and offers a potential usage as both preventive and therapeutic agent for humans.
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PMID:Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) exhibits inhibitory and preventive effects on prostate tumors in mice. 1806 61

Prostate Zn(2+) concentrations are among the highest in the body, and a marked decrease in the level of this ion is observed in prostate cancer. Extracellular Zn(2+) is known to regulate cell survival and proliferation in numerous tissues. In spite of this, a signaling role for extracellular Zn(2+) in prostate cancer has not been established. In the present study, we demonstrate that prostate metastatic cells are impermeable to Zn(2+), but extracellular Zn(2+) triggers a metabotropic Ca(2+) rise that is also apparent in the presence of citrate. Employing fluorescent imaging, we measured this activity in androgen-insensitive metastatic human cell lines, PC-3 and DU-145, and in mouse prostate tumor TRAMP-1 cells but not in androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells. The Ca(2+) response was inhibited by Galphaq and phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitors as well as by intracellular Ca(2+) store depletion, indicating that it is mediated by a Gq-coupled receptor that activates the inositol phosphate (IP(3)) pathway consistent with the previously identified zinc-sensing receptor (ZnR). Zn(2+)-dependent extracellular signal-regulated kinase and AKT activation, as well as enhanced Zn(2+)-dependent cell growth and survival, were observed in PC-3 cells that exhibit ZnR activity, but not in a ZnR activity-deficient PC-3 subline. Interestingly, application of Zn(2+)-citrate (Zn(2+)Cit), at physiological concentrations, was followed by a profound functional desensitization of extracellular Zn(2+)-dependent signaling and attenuation of Zn(2+)-dependent cell growth. Our results indicate that extracellular Zn(2+) and Zn(2+)Cit, by triggering or desensitizing ZnR activity, distinctly regulate prostate cancer cell growth. Thus, therapeutic strategies based either on Zn(2+) chelation or administration of Zn(2+)Cit may be effective in attenuating prostate tumor growth.
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PMID:Extracellular zinc and zinc-citrate, acting through a putative zinc-sensing receptor, regulate growth and survival of prostate cancer cells. 1831 92

Silibinin, a flavonolignan from milk thistle seeds, possesses cancer chemopreventive properties in rodent models of carcinogenesis. We tested the hypotheses that silibinin or silipide, silibinin formulated with phospholipids, delays tumour development in TRAMP or Apc(Min) mice, genetic models of prostate or intestinal malignancies, respectively. Mice received silibinin or silipide with their diet (0.2% silibinin equivalents) from weaning. Intervention with silipide reduced the size of well differentiated TRAMP adenocarcinomas by 31%. Silipide and silibinin decreased the incidence of poorly differentiated carcinomas by 61% compared to mice on control diet. Silipide decreased plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 by 36%. Levels of circulating IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 in mice on silipide or silibinin were 3.9- or 5.9-fold, respectively, elevated over those in control TRAMP mice. In Apc(Min) mice silibinin, but not silipide, had only a marginal adenoma number-reducing effect. The results cautiously support the advancement of silipide to the stage of clinical investigation in prostate cancer.
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PMID:Evaluation of the cancer chemopreventive efficacy of silibinin in genetic mouse models of prostate and intestinal carcinogenesis: relationship with silibinin levels. 1834 54

The impact of oxidative stress in human cancer has been extensively studied. It is accepted that elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote mutagenic DNA damage. Even with an extensive armament of cellular antioxidants and detoxification enzymes, alterations to DNA occur that initiate cellular transformation. Erythroid 2p45 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a basic-region leucine zipper transcription factor that mediates the expression of key protective enzymes through the antioxidant-response element (ARE). By analysing 10 human prostate cancer microarray data sets, we have determined that Nrf2 and members of the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) mu family are extensively decreased in human prostate cancer. Using the TRAMP transgene and Rb and Nrf2 knockout murine models, we demonstrated that the loss of Nrf2 initiates a detrimental cascade of reduced GST expression, elevated ROS levels and ultimately DNA damage associated with tumorigenesis. Based on overwhelming data from clinical samples and the current functional analysis, we propose that the disruption of the Nrf2-antioxidant axis leads to increased oxidative stress and DNA damage in the initiation of cellular transformation in the prostate gland.
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PMID:The role of Nrf2 in increased reactive oxygen species and DNA damage in prostate tumorigenesis. 1837 16

Androgen ablation is thought to exert selective pressure for the development of androgen-independent forms of prostate cancer. This study was set up to investigate the effects of surgical castration on the development of prostate adenocarcinoma (ADC) from its precursor (high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN)) and on the occurrence of androgen-independent, poorly differentiated carcinoma (PDC) in (C57Bl/6 transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate) TRAMP mice. It was found that castration cures HGPIN and ADC and prevents their further occurrence and growth, but has no effect on PDC. This indicates that in this model, PDC is not the progression of ADC favoured by androgen ablation and that its initiating cells are different from those of HGPIN and ADC.
Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2008
PMID:Effects of castration on the development of prostate adenocarcinoma from its precursor HGPIN and on the occurrence of androgen-independent, poorly differentiated carcinoma in TRAMP mice. 1837 88

In contrast to Ag-specific alphabeta T cells, gammadelta T cells can kill malignantly transformed cells in a manner that does not require the recognition of tumor-specific Ags. Although such observations have contributed to the emerging view that gammadelta T cells provide protective innate immunosurveillance against certain malignancies, particularly those of epithelial origin, they also provide a rationale for developing novel clinical approaches to exploit the innate antitumor properties of gammadelta T cells for the treatment of cancer. Using TRAMP, a transgenic mouse model of prostate cancer, proof-of-concept studies were performed to first establish that gammadelta T cells can indeed provide protective immunosurveillance against spontaneously arising mouse prostate cancer. TRAMP mice, which predictably develop prostate adenocarcinoma, were backcrossed with gammadelta T cell-deficient mice (TCRdelta(-/-) mice) yielding TRAMP x TCRdelta(-/-) mice, a proportion of which developed more extensive disease compared with control TRAMP mice. By extension, these findings were then used as a rationale for developing an adoptive immunotherapy model for treating prostate cancer. Using TRAMP-C2 cells derived from TRAMP mice (C57BL/6 genetic background), disease was first established in otherwise healthy wild-type C57BL/6 mice. In models of localized and disseminated disease, tumor-bearing mice treated i.v. with supraphysiological numbers of syngeneic gammadelta T cells (C57BL/6-derived) developed measurably less disease compared with untreated mice. Disease-bearing mice treated i.v. with gammadelta T cells also displayed superior survival compared with untreated mice. These findings provide a biological rationale for clinical trials designed to adoptively transfer ex vivo expanded autologous gammadelta T cells for the treatment of prostate cancer.
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PMID:Protective immunosurveillance and therapeutic antitumor activity of gammadelta T cells demonstrated in a mouse model of prostate cancer. 1842 25

Melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7 (mda-7)/interleukin-24 (IL-24) is a cancer-specific, apoptosis-inducing gene with broad-spectrum antitumor activity, making it an ideal candidate for a novel cancer gene therapy. A systemic and sustained antitumor immune response generated at the time of initial molecular-targeted therapy would provide additional clinical benefits in cancer patients, resulting in improved prevention of tumor recurrence. In this study, we explored the therapeutic efficacy of intratumoral delivery of a nonreplicating adenoviral vector encoding mda-7/IL-24 (Ad.mda-7) and a secretable form of endoplasmic reticulum resident chaperone grp170 (Ad.sgrp170), a potent immunostimulatory adjuvant and antigen carrier. Intratumoral administration of Ad.mda-7 in combination with Ad.sgrp170 was more effective in controlling growth of TRAMP-C2 prostate tumor compared with either Ad.mda-7 or Ad.sgrp170 treatment. Generation of systemic antitumor immunity was shown by enhanced protection against subsequent tumor challenge and improved control of distant tumors. The combined treatments enhanced antigen and tumor-specific T-cell response, as indicated by increased IFN-gamma production and cytolytic activity. Antibody depletion suggests that CD8(+) T cells may be involved in the antitumor effect of the dual molecule-targeted therapies. Therefore, introducing immunostimulatory chaperone grp170 in situ strongly promotes the "immunogenic" cell death when delivered to the mda-7/IL-24-induced apoptotic tumor cells, indicating that an improved anticancer efficacy may be achieved by concurrently targeting both tumor and immune compartments. Given multiple undefined antigens present endogenously within prostate cancer, these data provide a rationale for combining sgrp170-based vaccine strategy with mda-7/IL-24-targeted cancer therapy to induce durable systemic immunity.
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PMID:Secretable chaperone Grp170 enhances therapeutic activity of a novel tumor suppressor, mda-7/IL-24. 1848 74

Cell-based therapy for cancer is a promising new field. Among cell types that can be used for this purpose, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) appear to hold great advantage for reasons including easier propagation in culture, possible genetic modification to express therapeutic proteins and preferential homing to sites of cancer growth upon in vivo transfer. The present study evaluated the potential of genetically modified MSC, constitutively expressing interferon (IFN)-beta, in an immunocompetent mouse model of prostate cancer lung metastasis. A recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) encoding mouse IFN-beta was constructed and initially tested in vitro for high-level expression and bioactivity of the transgenic protein. MSCs were transduced by the rAAV-IFN-beta or green fluorescent protein ex vivo and used as cellular vehicles to target lung metastasis of TRAMP-C2 prostate cancer cells in a therapy model. Cohorts of mice were killed on days 30 and 75 to determine the effect of therapy by measurement of tumor volume, histology, immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry. Results indicated a significant reduction in tumor volume in lungs following IFN-beta-expressing MSC therapy. Immunohistochemistry of the lung demonstrated increased tumor cell apoptosis and decreased tumor cell proliferation and blood vessel counts. A significant increase in the natural kill cell activity was observed following IFN-beta therapy correlating the antitumor effect. Systemic level of IFN-beta was not significantly elevated from this targeted cell therapy. These data demonstrate the potential of MSC-based IFN-beta therapy for prostate cancer lung metastasis.
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PMID:Cancer gene therapy using mesenchymal stem cells expressing interferon-beta in a mouse prostate cancer lung metastasis model. 1859 29


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